Bushland shortstop Dreagan Patterson, left, steps on second base for the force out as Sonora's Imoni Cross slides into the bag Thursday in the second inning of Game 1 of the Region I-2A final at McMurry University in Abilene. Sonora won, 11-7.

ABILENE — That big inning people have gotten so accustomed to seeing over the last three years in a series involving the Bushland baseball team happened right away in the first game of the Region I-2A finals Thursday night at McMurry University.

Only this time, the Falcons were on the wrong end of it.

Sonora came out looking like, well, Bushland, scoring six runs in the top of the first inning. That was too much for the Falcons to overcome, as they lost 11-7 in the first game of the best-of-three series.

If the Falcons (28-6-1) want to make the state tournament for the third year in a row, they’ll have to beat Sonora (27-7) twice Friday, starting with Game 2 at 11 a.m. Bushland is coming off the first loss of a game in a best-of-three series since the region finals two years ago, when the Falcons lost the first game to Presidio and rallied to win the next two to reach their first state tournament.

Bushland likely can’t afford to have another such rough start against the Broncos. Sophomore right-hander Blane Barnett, who opened his playoff career with a no-hitter, didn’t make it out of the first inning.

“That’s a huge number,” Bushland coach Jeff Smith said of Sonora’s six-run first. “We had a hard time throwing strikes most of the night. We’ve got to keep them off the bases, because when they got on, they put a ton of pressure on us.”

The deluge started on the first pitch of the game, when Sonora’s Imoni Cross sliced a triple to right. Cross scored on a single by Davis Jimenez, as the first five Sonora hitters reached base.

Winning pitcher John Lopez (8-2) had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double to center, and Barnett balked home a pair of runs. After facing 10 batters, Barnett was removed from the hill after recording only two outs and giving up five hits.

“I think he got a little frustrated with the strike zone,” Smith said of Barnett. “We’ll have to adjust to that and not the other way around.”

Reliever Taylor Cornelius came in and also had a tough time, as he gave up three runs in the second as the Broncos boosted their lead to 9-1. Cornelius was pulled in the third after issuing a leadoff walk.

A sliver lining for the Falcons was Colton Love’s relief appearance. Love pitched the final five innings and gave up two runs (one unearned) on only two hits.

“I was really pleased with Colton,” Smith said. “He really gave us a chance.”

Trailing 10-2, the Falcons put up a big inning when they scored five runs — three unearned — in the fifth off Lopez to cut it to 10-7. Barnett, the only Bushland starter who had two hits, had an RBI double in the inning.

Still, that wasn’t enough to make up for a rough first inning.

“That’s how we’ve been playing,” Sonora coach David Gallegos said. “We’re very aggressive at the beginning. It’s nothing new to us. Having a lead early is great, but we still had six more innings to go.”

And the good news for Bushland is that Sonora still has to win one more game before the series is over with. Smith didn’t see any reason to panic.

“That’s why we play three games,” Smith said. “We’ll get on the bus, come back and get ready to play two.”